Topic Contents

Covers physical exam of the skin for skin cancer. Explains how and why it is done. Covers signs of melanoma such as a growth, an irritation or a sore that does not heal, or a change in a wart or a mole.

Physical Exam of the Skin for Skin Cancer

Exam Overview

During a physical exam for a skin problem,
your doctor will examine the skin over your whole body, looking for suspicious
growths, moles, or lesions. The exam is done using a bright light and
sometimes a magnifying lens. The scalp is examined by parting the
hair.

Signs of melanoma

Color. The pigmentation is not uniform.
Shades of tan, brown, and black are present. Dashes of red, white, and blue add
to the mottled appearance. Changes in color distribution, especially the spread
of color from the edge of a mole into the surrounding skin, also are an early
sign of melanoma.

Diameter. The mole or skin growth is
larger than 6 mm (0.2 in.), or
about the size of a pencil eraser. Any growth of a mole should be of
concern.

Evolution. There is a change in the size, shape, symptoms
(such as itching or tenderness), surface (especially bleeding), or
color.

Other signs of melanoma in a mole include changes
in:

Elevation, such as thickening or raising of a
previously flat mole.

Surface, such as scaling, erosion, oozing,
bleeding, or crusting.

Surrounding skin, such as redness, swelling,
or small new patches of color around a larger lesion (satellite
pigmentations).

Sensation, such as itching, tingling, or
burning.

Consistency, such as softening or small pieces that break
off easily (friability).

Other signs of skin cancer

A new, smooth skin bump (nodule) with a
raised border and indented center.

A smooth, shiny, or pearly bump
that may look like a mole or cyst.

A shiny area of tight-looking
skin, especially on the face, that looks like a scar and has poorly defined
edges.

An open sore that oozes, bleeds, or crusts and has not
healed in 3 weeks.

A persistent red bump on sun-exposed
skin.

A sore that does not heal or an area of thickened skin on the
lower lip, especially if you smoke or use chewing tobacco, or your lips are
exposed to the sun and wind.

What To Think About

Photographs may be used to
document and detect changes in the skin, especially atypical moles. Some
medical centers use computers to compare photographs taken at an earlier exam
with new photographs of suspicious moles and lesions. This technique may more
accurately determine whether a mole or lesion is changing.

Doctors
don't have to do a biopsy to see if a lesion is benign (noncancerous). They
may use a dermatoscope to see spots on the skin. This tool's special magnifying
lens and light source help the doctor see the skin more clearly. Also, with a
method called confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), doctors can look even
more closely at changes in the cells and tissue of the skin.

Some experts think it's a
good idea to check your own skin every month and have your doctor check
periodically. People who are at risk for skin cancer or those who are over 40
years old may want to have their doctor check their skin every year. If you
have already had skin cancer, your doctor will recommend more frequent
exams.

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